The invention relates to devices useful in the packaging, storage, and transport of medical hypodermic needles.
It has commonly become the case that hypodermic needles, in modern medical practice, are limited to a single use prior to their disposal. This is because of the increased concerns posed by communicable diseases, many of which, like AIDS, are readily passed along by body fluid exchange, via inadvertent needle puncture, coupled with the relative low cost of the hypodermic needle itself. Indeed, it is frequently made hospital policy that hypodermic needles not be reused and, in order to prevent the risk of even accidental puncture, that they not be bent or even recapped.
Often, however, there are situations in which the reuse, or recapping, of a hypodermic needle may be advantageous. An anaestheseologist, during a prolonged operation, frequently needs to have a number of various medications available to him in order to respond to a patient's operative condition. The anaestheseologist will be required to alternately select between the medications and will need to have each immediately available. Because the medications can be injected into an intravenous system rather than through the patient's skin, the risks associated with the previously described communicable disease problem are not present.
It is widely accepted within the surgical art that the ambient atomosphere present within an "open-patient" environment contains germs and bacteria impurities which are inherently present. The longer an open patient or surgical tool, such as a hypodermic needle, is exposed to such ambient atmosphere, the greater the risk of infection to the patient. It would then, be to the benefit of an anaestheseologist working in that environment to have the ability to have a measured amount of given medications immediately available and the ability to safely and cleanly use, resheath and cover in a manner providing minimal exposure to the ambient atmosphere, and then reuse a hypodermic needle affixed to a syringe containing such medication would be most beneficial.
While a needle or surgical device exposed only to the air for some reasonable time may still be considered "clean" for further use, any such instrument coming into direct contact with another person or object is immediately rendered non-sterile. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that, in any situation in which a needle is to be resheathed, that both the needle and any part of the sheath with which the needle may make contact are isolated from contact with any other object.
The ability to safely resheath or recap a hypodermic needle to be disposed after only one use may be desirable. On the other hand, even if it is desirable to dispose of a needle after only a single use, recapping of the needle be of benefit in this instance as well. Since there are risks associated with bending, or otherwise marking a used hypodermic needle, such a hypodermic needle should be immediately transported to a safe disposal utensil. While being handled and in transport, particularly in a crowded and busy patient location, the risks of inadvertantly puncturing oneself or another is significant. The ability to safely recap the hypodermic needle immediately after use and before transport or disposal, then, would also be of benefit.
A number of inventions teach various methods of packaging, storing, or disposing of hypodermic needles.
Various devices, such as Mayer (U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,918) and Smith (U.S. Pat. No. 4,643,722) teach hypodermic needle storage, transport, and disposal devices which afford some measure of protection to the individual handling the needle at that time. In particular, each of these provide a funnel-like for channeling the tip of the hypodermic needle into its sheath. However, needles disposed of in this manner cannot be rendered suitable for reuse, nor do the inventions protect a person during transport of the needle to the disposal area.
Carstens (U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,090) points out the advantages of having a "hard" package for the packaging of hypodermic needles which additionally permits accessibility via a cap or other opening means not requiring the destruction of the package. This permits storage sterilization as well as personal protection from inadvertent puncture. After use of the hypodermic needle, even when disposal is desired, this permits safer disposal of the hypodermic needle by providing a "hard" and resealed disposal vessel.
What is needed in the art is an apparatus for promoting both safe reinsertion of the hypodermic needle into its sheath and safe transport or disposal.